Applicants must be
current SMCM First-Years, Sophomores, or Juniors in any major,
capable writers and thinkers, and
responsible, reliable, flexible, and friendly individuals.
The application requires
contact information for two non-student references at SMCM,
biographical information (e.g., major, GPA, etc.),
a self-evaluation of your organizational and time management skills,
a past writing sample, and
a brief written response.
Additional Guidelines
We consider GPA as a dimension of the application, but we do not have a strict minimum GPA requirement. The average cumulative GPA for our accepted applicants is 3.8.
We welcome but do not require past tutoring, peer mentoring, or TA-ing experience.
We welcome applicants who have sought tutoring at our Center in the past, but we do not require applicants to complete tutorials.
We require a sense of humor.
DEADLINE EXTENDED:
🔷🔷🔷Applications are now due Sunday, November 10th by 5:00 PM EST
Applicants selected this Fall must take "ENGL 399: Peer Tutoring Practicum" as an Independent Study in Spring 2024. This course is open only to students who have been selected through the peer tutor application process, so the students who take it add it to their schedules in the Spring instead of registering for it in advance in the Fall. The course will mostly consist of online modules with some experiential assignments (e.g., observing tutorials in the Center) and some one-on-one or small group meetings. ENGL 399 is a 2-credit course, and it will be taught by Mandy Taylor in Spring 2024 and graded as Pass/Fail.
We developed the current version of the Peer Tutoring Practicum course based on input from past peer tutors. The content, workload, assignments, vibe, and schedule are all based on their suggestions.
The course covers
professionalism skills and expectations,
the history and methodology of writing centers,
tutoring goals, strategies, and procedures, and
key writing concepts, such as cohesion, coherence, subordination, and coordination.
The course includes
group discussion,
weekly reading,
occasional journal responses,
writing concept exercises,
quizzes,
tutoring practice activities,
tutorial observations and reflections,
a practice midterm exam, and
a cumulative proficiency exam.*
*Students must pass the proficiency exam with a 93% or higher before they can be officially hired at the Center.
Peer Tutor duties include
staffing regular tutoring hours,
assisting peers with different stages of the writing/speaking process,
keeping detailed records of all tutoring appointments, and
attending weekly tutor meetings to participate in additional training.
Peer tutoring offers superb experience in writing, teaching, and customer service, and the position serves as an excellent addition to résumés and CVs.
Our past Peer Tutors have included three SMCM valedictorians and several Phi Beta Kappa members. After graduating from SMCM, our tutors have been accepted to graduate programs at schools such as Georgetown University, Columbia University, and University of Pennsylvania, and they have pursued careers in fields including law, education, and public health.
